Device for placing bag covers over garments



Dec. 5, 1939. D. J.'M =CARTY DEVICE FOR PLACING BAG COVERS OVER GARMENTS Filed April 28, 1937 Q a 5 .R v a Y O N Z T POv R u N c o 2 W im T 5 H l N J 5 I M n W Y .1 W B 5% Wm PM m" hunu hmm 2 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT oFFlc DEVICE FOR PLACING BAG COVERS OVER GARIVLENTS Daniel J. McCarty, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 28, 1937, Serial No. 139,442

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a device used for the insertion of garments into bag coverings.

In garment cleaning and pressing establishments, it has now become the custom to place a paper bag or covering over the garment after cleaning or pressing, and prior to delivery to a customer. Such bags are usually arranged with an open bottom, so that they may be slipped over a garment hung on a conventional clothes hanger. The clothes hanger is usually provided with a hook that can project through a small opening in the top of the bag.

The act of placing the bag over a garment hanging on a hanger, has been clumsy and time consuming. Especially is this true where the garment is a full-length one; such as a womans dress, or an overcoat or a suit of clothes.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a device that makes it possible to place such covering bags easily over the garment.

It is another object of the invention to make it possible to store a large number of bags in a convenient manner and in a position ready for placing them over garments as desired.

It is another object of this invention to provide a convenient although inexpensive mechanism, including an enclosing cabinet, to facilitate the storage of a number of bags for use; that is, with the open end at the bottom, and in elevated position.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cabinet incorporating the invention, the carriage being shown in partially elevated position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along plane 2-2 of Fig. 1, but with the carriage in fully elevated position, and the bottom door of the cabinet open;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along plane 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the elevating and lowering mechanism, some of the parts being broken away toreduce the size of the figure;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the manner in which a garment bag has been placed over a garment on a hanger; and =5,

Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the garment bags to be utilized in connection with the invention.

The garment bag I (Figs. 2, 5 and 6). is'shown as of conventional form. It is open at the bottom and has an upwardly extending tab 2, the top of the bag having a small slit or opening 34, where tab 2 joins the bag.

In the apparatus utilized for the invention,the garment bags I are supported at their upper ends by the aid of the tab 2, through which passes the supporting member 3 (Figs. 2 and 5). This supporting member is conveniently made in the form of a rod or spike with a pointed end, which can be forced through the tabs 2. Furthermore, the support 3 is of sufficient length to accommodate a comparatively large number of bags I, only a few being shown in Figs. 2 and 5. These bags I thus are suspended with their open ends directed downwardly. so that the bags may be pulled 5 over a garment.

In order that this downward telescoping motion of the bag I may be easily effected, use is made of a rod or pole 5. This rod or pole is intended to be inserted upwardly into a bag I, 30 through the open end thereof. Its upper end is intended to be passed through the upper slit 34; it also carries a hook Ii at its upper end adapted to engage the support 3, after passing through the slit 34. At the lower end the pole 5 carries a hook I upon which a garment hanger 8 may be suspended. Upon this garment hanger, a garment 4 is placed.

With the pole 5 thus inserted into one of the bags, the operator can grasp the lower edge of the bag I and tear through the tab 2, pulling the bag downwardly over the pole 5 and over the hook I and onto the garment hanger 8. This completes the operation of placing the bag over the garment, as illustrated in the lower portion of Fig. 5. All that is required then is to remove the garment hanger 8 from the hook I; the garment hanger 8, the garment 4 and the bag I is then ready for delivery to a customer.

It is apparent that for convenience in opera- 50 tion the bags I should be suspended at a height to facilitate the ready insertion of the pole 5 within one of the bags I, by an operator standing on the floor. For this purpose there is provided an elevating and lowering mechanism, so

that for loading the support 3, this support can be lowered; and after loading, the support 3 with the bags I, may be elevated to its desired height.

For this purpose there is provided an enclosing cabinet 35 shown to best advantage in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This cabinet can include the Sides 9 and [0 (Fig. 3) having a front glass panel H, and supported directly on a vertical wall l2. The glass panel II makes it possible conveniently to View the bags I from the exterior of the cabinet.

The lowering and elevating mechanism includes a pulley and drum device and a carriage l3 operated thereby. This carriage supports at its upper end, the bag support 3. This support 3 may have a rearwardly extending portion I4,.

braced by a bracket i5 fastened to the rear wall of the carriage I3. This carriage I3 is adapted to be guided by the aid of vertical guide cleats l6 and I! fastened to the inner sides of the side walls 9 and ii]. To each of these guides is fastened alongitudinal metal strip E8. The edge of the metal strip is projects inwardly beyond the guide cleats l6, l1. These edges are adapted to be engaged within a groove formed between the rear wall of carriage l3 and the rabbetted cleats l9, fastened to the rear of the carriage E3.

The guide members H), I! and [13 extend for a material portion vertically within the cabinet structurett, as shown most clearly in Fig, 2. A pulley 29] is provided nearthe top of the cabinet over which passes a flexible element such as string or cord 2!. The other reach of the cord '2! is intended to be wound on a drum 22 located near the bottom of the cabinet. This drum is shown in Fig. 4 as having pintles 23 and 24 journalled in the bearing brackets 25 and Z6 fastened to the inside surfaces of walls 9 and It. In order to raise and lower the carriage 13, the drum 22 is adapted to be rotated by the aid of a pair of gears 21 and 28. Gear 2'! is fastened to the right hand end of drum 22. Gear 28 meshes therewith and is adapted to be rotated by the aid of a handle on the outside of the cabinet. For this purpose the gear 28 has an extending shaft 29 with a square projection 38 that may be received in a ratchet handle or the like. The gear 28 is rotatably supported by the aid of the bracket 26, and also by the aid of a supplemental bracket .3l fastened to the cleat H.

In order to gain ready access to the drum mechanism, the cabinet may be provided with a door 32 adapted to swing on a vertical axis as by the aid of hinges 33.

The mode of operation of the apparatus is clear from the foregoing. When it is desired to load the support 3 with the garment bags I, the drum 22 is operated to lower the carriage 3. In its lowered position, the carriage 3 extends to near the bottom of the cabinet 35, in which position the bags are placed, by the aid of the tabs 2, upon the support 3. Then the drum 22 may be operated to bring the carriage I? to the position shown in Fig. 2. A sumcient number of bags may be thus supported at a convenient level and to last for a considerable period.

In order to place a bag I over a garment such as 4, the garment hanger 8 is supported at the bottom of the pole 5, the top of the pole extending upwardly through one of the bags. This bag, as heretofore stated, can then be pulled down ofi of the support 3, tearing the tab 2 and slipping over the garment 4. The garment hanger 8 can then be removed from the pole 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a carriage, a vertical guide for the carriage, means for lowering and elevating the carriage on the guide, means supported on the carriage and forming a rod suspension adapted to pass through the tops of a number of garment bags placed side by side in a stack with their open ends directed downwardly for supporting the bags With their lower open ends unimpeded and a pole adapted to support a garment hanger and to be inserted into any of the bags.

2. The process of placing garment bags over garments, which comprises supporting one or more garment bags at the tops so that they hang downwardly with the open end at the bottom, placing a garment on a hanger, supporting the hanger on a pole, passing the pole upwardly and through the top of one of the bags, and pulling the bag downwardly over the pole and onto the hanger.

3. In a device of the character described, a carriage, means for moving the carriage in a vertical direction, means supported by the carriage for suspending a number of garment bags side by side in a stack at their upper ends, and a pole adapted to be inserted optionally into any one of the bags, the upper end of said pole being adapted toextend beyond the bag and engage said support means, the lower end of the pole being adapted to support a garment hanger, whereby the garment hanger is supported adjacent the lower end of the bag.

4. In a device of the character described, a carriage, a vertical guide for the carriage, a cabinet enclosing the guide and carriage, a pulley and, drum mechanism supported in the cabinet and cooperating with the carriage to lower and elevate it, means supported by the carriage for suspending a number of garment bags side by side in a stack at their upper ends, and a pole adapted to be insertedop'tionally into any one'of the bags, the upper end of said pole being adapted to extend beyond the bag and engage said support means, the lower end of the pole being adapted to support a garment hanger, whereby the garment hanger is supported adjacent the lower end of the bag.

DANIEL J. MoCARTY. 

